I WRITE to you this

day from the back bedroom of my home. Sounds very Churchillian that, or was it Chamberlain? Yes, it was.

The reason for my non-appearance at my gainful employment of late is a foot which has become infected.

Now it's strange that the infected part is only about two inches by one inch, so it's not a large area.

But that small part of my rather large anatomy has caused me all sort of problems in recent weeks.

It's now nine or 10 weeks since I could put a shoe on my left foot, so the flip-flop has been the order of the day.

This has led to two things. First, a wearing out of the left flip-flop, and second, pairs of shoes where the right one has shown considerable more wear than the left one.

As shoe shops only ever put one shoe outside for display, to stop someone stealing them, I have come to the conclusion that if several right shoes (size 10) go missing from the front of shops I will be a likely suspect.

The foot also caused a visit to casualty last weekend - the hospital department, not the TV programme - as the ulcerated ankle decided to burst a little.

It's funny because I walked into the kitchen and was about to make some tea, and looked down thinking who's spilt the beetroot on the floor, only to realise that we did not have any beetroot, and it was in fact my blood.

Flipped on to the back, foot in the air and ride to the new 'ossie in Wuzter.

Now I think I have mentioned this after the Chicken Bone Incident last year, but the people who try to operate within the confines of the hospital service are brilliant. However, the system leaves a lot to be desired.

Thanks to those people who did patch me up.

On to the weight - well, I am back with a vengeance. I won the certificate this week, having lost five pounds.

Now, I am not sure why or how, having been to a barbie on Saturday night (that's the one with charcoal and sausages, not the small doll from America) and a Father's Day dinner on Sunday.

I thought I must have put on a few pounds, but it seems not. Thank the lord for those high temperatures to burn it all off.

l Dave Bradley broadcasts on BBC Hereford and Worcester every weekday afternoon.